(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit film, a display device including the same, and a manufacturing method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible printed circuit film adapted to withstand bending, a display device including the same, and a manufacturing method of the display device.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”), a plasma display panel (“PDP”), a flat emission display (“FED”), a vacuum fluorescent display (“VFD”), and an organic light emitting device (“OLED”) are among widely used flat panel displays.
The flat panel displays generally include a display panel and a signal controller for supplying signals to the display panel. The display panel receives the signals through a flexible printed circuit film connected to the signal controller. Driver integrated circuit (“IC”) chips of the display panel are mounted as types such as chip on glass (“COG”), film on glass (“FOG”), and tape carrier package (“TCP”). In the COG type and the FOG type, the IC chips are formed on the substrate of the display panel, and the IC chips are formed on the flexible printed circuit film in the TCP type.
The flexible printed circuit film includes a film, metal wiring formed on the film, and a passivation layer formed on the metal wiring. Generally, the flexible printed circuit film is bent, an end portion thereof is connected to the edge of the substrate, and the other end portion thereof is connected to a portion that supplies the signals.
When various forces occur on the completely manufactured display device, the stress is focused on the end portion of the flexible printed circuit film, that is to say, the portion where the bend is started. Also, as the one end portion of the flexible printed circuit film is attached to the edge of the substrate, the stress is next focused on the bent portion of the flexible printed circuit film in the manufacturing process in which the flexible printed circuit film is bent and the other end portion thereof is attached to the supply portion.
Particularly, according to the conventional art, because the stress is focused on the metal wiring disposed on the portion where the bend of the flexible printed circuit film is started, disconnections are frequently generated by weak forces. Furthermore, the disconnections of the metal wiring generate screen deteriorations, thereby decreasing the quality and the productivity of the products.